The Movie Lover's Festival
A New Vision of Film
Our second festival features four classes and four movies over a three day period. Each class looks at different aspects of movie making followed by a film that demonstrates the techniques discussed. The Festival takes place at church, the weekend of February 9 - 11, preceded by our four Introductory Genre Movies presented on February 5 - 8.
The Power of Movies
Lies in Their Ability to Reflect
Our Hopes, Dreams, Beliefs, Values, and Culture
Introductory Genre Movies
- Monday, February 5, 2007
- 7:00pm Western ~ Discussion Leader: Sue Thornquist
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William Munny is a killer who was civilized by marriage. But his wife dies and he is not very good as a hog farmer. He is talked into bounty hunting just one more time by the Kid and eventually has to face the corrupt sheriff.
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- Tuesday, February 6, 2007
- 7:00pm Documentary ~ Discussion Leader: Dave Schulz
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Global warming is real. We are sliding toward the tipping point of the destruction of our planet. Roger Ebert said "You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."
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- Wednesday, February 7, 2007
- 7:00pm Mocumentary ~ Discussion Leader: Archie Benfield
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Corky St. Claire is putting together an amateur theater show celebrating Blaine Missouri’s 150th year. The actors receive word that a Broadway producer’s agent is planning on attending opening night. Could this show go to Broadway?
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- Thursday, February 8, 2007
- 7:00pm Horror ~ Discussion Leader: Wilhelmina Shoger
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The dead come back to life to eat the living. People barricade themselves into a rural house in an attempt to escape the zombies. A groundbreaking horror film, a must see for horror film fans.
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Weekend Festival
- Friday, February 9, 2007
- 6:45pm From Good to Great: Films that Last
What makes a film great? What elements give a film a timeless quality, something we can watch and enjoy over and over again? Sue Thornquist will discuss the ingredients needed for a film to be considered great.
- 8:30pm - Movie: The Graduate (1967)
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The Graduate had seven nominations for academy awards in 1968 and is on the AFI list of the top 100 movies, as well as, the top 100 for laughs and passion.
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- Saturday, February 10, 2007
- 9:30am Movie: Millions (2004)
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Two brothers, ages 7 & 9, find a bag of British pounds that must be spent before the country switches to Euros. Damian, a humanist, and Anthony, a materialist, struggle with the dilemma that money brings.
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- 11:15am From Kids to Adults: Everyone’s A Critic
Josh Larsen, the movie editor of the Naperville Sun and 13 other weekly newspapers is joined by six young critics; Lee Thornquist age 12, Leah Faber age 11, Jack Ebersold age 11, Michelle Fechner age 11, Amelia Lysne age 9, and Lars Feste age 12, to review and critique the movie Millions.
1:30pm From Beginning to End: A Filmmaker's
Journey
Michael and Jeffrey Wolinski, along with their partner Shaun Fox, have made four films and are in the process of making another one. Have you ever wondered how the script, director, location, and actors are chosen? A finished film can be magic but the making of a film is madness. Michael and Jeffrey will give you an inside look at the production process.
3:15pm - Movie: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)
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Frances Ford Coppola struggled with nature, government, actors and self doubt as he made Apocalypse Now, a film that nearly destroyed his life and career. Footage and sound secretly recorded by his wife, Elanor Coppola, are included as well as interviews of the actors and scenes from the movie.
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- Sunday, February 11, 2007
- 1:30pm From the Unseen To The Big
Screen: Behind The Scenes of an Independent
Movie House
The marketing and distribution of films has become big business. Independent film gems rarely make it to the large chains in the suburbs. The Music Box Theatre in Chicago features movies from independent and foreign filmmakers. Brian Andreotti, Music Box Theatre Program Director, will discuss the marketing and distribution process as well as the criteria he uses to choose movies for the Music Box.
- 3:00pm - Movie: Sweet Land (1967)
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Inge, a 1920 Norwegian
mail order bride, describes her life in Minnesota
to her grandson after her husband’s death in 1968.
The film explores prejudice, personal strength, love,
friendship, and love of the land. "A real treasure, a
film of laughter and joy" say the reviewers.
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Registration
Genre Movies
- $2 suggested donation
- Registration suggested
Weekend Festival
- $8 per class
- $25 for 4 classes
- Registration required
All movies are shown in the Movie Theater (Room 217). Seating is limited to 25.
Register through the church office (630-968-7120) using the form in the festival brochure.
|Festival Brochure (PDF)|
Festival Leaders
Sue Thornquist fell in love with film at the age of 14 when her Dad took her to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She studied film under the film historian Gerald Mast at the University of Chicago. Her masters thesis was on the holocaust film Night and Fog. She has taught English and Film at Downers Grove South High School for 24 years. Sue has continued to take film classes and is a regular attendee at the Chicago Film Festival and the Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival. In addition, she has taught several conference workshops on film. She hopes someday in the near future to attend the Toronto, Sundance and Cannes film festivals.
Josh Larsen is the movie editor for the Naperville Sun and 13 weekly Sun newspapers including the Downers Grove Sun. His reviews also appear in The Daily Southtown and The American Enterprise Magazine.
Lee Thornquist, Leah Faber, Jack Ebersold, Michelle Fechner, Lars Feste and Amelia Lysne are all members of FUMC and attend Downers Grove schools.
Michael and Jeffrey Wolinski, along with their partner Shaun Fox, are co-owners of the independent film production company Tripod Films LLC. Their first features, The After School Special and My Brothers Light have played all over the world in countless film festivals and have won numerous awards. They are currently producing the latest installment in the longest running horror franchise in U.S. history.
Brian Andreotti graduated from Downers Grove South High School in 1985. He received a BA in English from the Univ. of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and an MA in Film from Northwestern. He was the Programmer and Competitions Director for the Chicago International Film Festival from 1992 to 1995. He became Director of Programming for the Music Box Theatre in 1995 which features independent and foreign films. He is also a Film History Instructor at Columbia College.
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